Editor’s Pick: Australia vs Canada

In our previous post, we compared Canada and Singapore and since then we received a lot of requests to compare Canada and Australia. Luckily, I have a friend when I was still in Singapore who migrated to Australia in 2014, the same year I migrated to Canada. Now let’s see who between the both of us is luckier. Let this be a guide as well to those people planning to migrate and is still undecided between the two countries. While you can apply to migrate to both countries then decide later on but this will require double the effort and double the fees.

If you are looking to migrate, chances are you are considering Canada and Australia – two of the most popular destinations. Both countries offer high quality of life and standard of living.

For starters, these two countries are heavyweights and not just in terms of land area. They both are consistently among the top most-livable countries making them among the top destinations for Filipino skilled immigrants and many more. They both also employ a points-based immigration system.

To make your decision a little easier we compare the two on the following important parameters:

TIME DIFFERENCE AND LOCATION

This is a no brainer here. Let’s have the Philippines as our point of comparison. Australia only has a 1-hour time difference and travel time is only around 6 hours. On the other hand, Canada has around a 12-hour time difference and travel time is around 15-20 hours. In terms of plane ticket fees, Australia has the upper-hand especially with cheaper Cebu Pacific flights. However, Canada is the better choice for people who love travelling since it is only a border away from USA.

Winner: TIE

WEATHER

One of the factors that is a major deal breaker is the weather. Australia has a mild winter, a warm summer, and rainfall once in a while. However, Canada is a little more extreme but it has 4 seasons each year; winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winner: TIE

HOUSING

Unfortunately, it is very expensive to afford housing in both countries. However, you always have options. Either you stay in the heart of the city near everything but at a higher cost or you stay outside the city for a cheaper place but you will have to commute or drive to the city. Just to mention, it is a little cheaper to have your house in Canada as compared to Australia. If you feel like you need to have a trip to these countries before you move officially then that is encouraged. Just look for accommodation in potts point sydney and then the same in Toronto, Canada. It’s important you see how the two countries compare.

Winner: TIE

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Both countries rely on mining and natural resources and these might be the best paying jobs for immigrants. There are some jobs that are better in one country than in the other – for example, opportunities for nurses are better in Canada while IT jobs are better in Australia. As for us, I am an IT-person in Canada while my friend is a nurse in Australia. Seems like we went to the opposite countries right?

Winner: TIE

IMMIGRATION

This might be the factor you are most eager to read about. Typically, the visa application process for Canada is easier. While both function on a points-based process and have a preferred skills list, Canada does have far fewer visa sub-classes and less stringent visa application assessments.

In general Canada has a less complicated and less strict immigration system and it is considerably cheaper than the Australian government fees.

Winner: TIE

Conclusion:Both countries are basically tied in each factor. So whether you decide to go to Canada or Australia, you have nothing to lose. Instead of worrying about the destination, you just have to worry if you will be granted entry.

It is also a matter of fate. As mentioned earlier, as an IT-person I would have gotten better job offers in Australia but I am in Canada. The opposite goes for my nurse friend in Australia who would have had better offers in Canada. But as fate decided, we are where we are today and we have no regrets.

So the lesson here is to not trouble yourself too much on the destination since both are top destinations. Wherever the opportunity is to improve your condition in life, take it while it’s there and don’t think twice. Life changing opportunities don’t come around often, grab it while you can.